Let It Snow
by Taigurl
Summary: Great Washington's wig! Welcome to my very first official piece of writing. Taiora, Kouko, Mimato, and Takari all wrapped up in one snowy bundle!
1. Default Chapter Title

Hey everyone! This was one of my first fics here-a Mimato sort of, which is really unusual for me since Mimi and Matt aren't even on my fave list! I got tired of reading so many junkie fics out here! It's difficult to find a well written piece with humor and a touch of romance, so I decided to create one that shows G-PG fics aren't boring! And guess what?! Surprise, surprise, this fic has no lemoning, liming, making out, or Frenching---! ::crickets chirp:: Well, at least I hope this one isn't boring! Someday I hope to be on some readers' favorite author's lists, but I don't know if I'm good enough for that yet! Anyways, the response I get for this one will determine whether or not I continue this series, so please write a review and let me know what you think! Okay, I'll stop my yap and shut my trap! On with the story!   
  
  
  
Mimi Tachikawa cupped her hands around her warm cappuccino mug and sighed as she watched fluffy snowflakes fall softly to the ground. She shivered; just the thought of being outside made her feel chilly. The girl stopped watching the city streets and turned her attention to the cozy scene inside to take her mind off the cold. Mimi had passed by this little café many times before the move to America, but she had never been inside of it. Sometimes she used to look through the windows-just for fun-but this place held no memories of the past for the young Tachikawa.   
  
Mimi didn't feel like talking with anyone at the moment. She just wanted to be alone, for no reason in particular, really. Late last night her family arrived at their new apartment, which was already furnished since their things had arrived before them. Mimi had some mixed feelings on moving back to Japan. On one hand, she would really miss living in New York, where things were always exciting and moving-kind of like Tokyo in a way-and the new friends that she made, especially her good friend Michael, who turned out to be a DigiDestened as well, quite to Mimi's surprise and delight. Then there were the kids at her school, and all the familiar places she used to visit....   
But a move can't be helped, she sighed again. So many moves....   
Then again, now that she was back, she could see everything she knew and loved as a little kid, and her dear friends she knew so well. The thought of seeing them now all the time brought a smile to her face and made her feel warm inside. She hadn't been able to see them for quite a while because of conflicting schedules, although she and the other Chosen Children e-mailed. Besides, there was a part of her that would always stay in Japan no matter where she went. After all, was it not here that she was sucked into a digital dimension and helped to save the world? Yes, she was glad to be back.   
  
Glancing around the little coffee shop, she saw that she was the only one there. Still, it was fairly early for Saturday. She had just gotten up before her usual time, tossed on some clothes and made sure her hair and makeup were perfect, wrote a note to her parents, and wandered aimlessly down the street until she came to this place. She liked it immediately. The soft light and relaxing music helped her to mellow out some. Fifteen could be so stressful sometimes. Mimi took off her scarf and unbuttoned her coat a little, glad not to be rushing around for once. She breathed in the warm, exotic smells of the café, and took a sip from her steaming Styrofoam cup. Mmmmm.....heavenly.....   
Thoughts of the beach, Hawaii, came flooding back to her as she imagined herself stretched on the white sands getting a perfect tan....   
  
Suddenly a great gust of wind from an open door turned Mimi's tropical paradise into snowy Siberia. She popped her eyes wide open, angry at whoever had the nerve to rush in and ruin her private dream. With a huff, she decided it was about time to leave anyways, and quickly gathered her things as she headed out the door. As she was working her way into her coat, the person who rushed in the shop, was rushing out, and bumped into her, spilling four cups of scalding hot coffee all over the girl. Mimi gasped and screamed instinctively, but realized not too much physical harm had been done since most of the coffee was splashed onto her thick jacket. The young man muttered something harshly under his breath, and started sopping up the brown liquidy mess on the floor with some paper napkins he grabbed out of a napkin dispenser.   
  
"Oh! My brand new Ralph Lauren coat! It's ruined!" Mimi sobbed as she too began desperately wiping at herself.   
  
"Sorry lady," the man mumbled, and then swore for being late for a practice or something. Mimi stopped.   
  
"Excuse me, what did you just say?"   
  
"I said 'sorry'," he said, not looking up.   
  
"No, I mean right after that," Mimi said in an annoyed tone of voice.   
  
"Forget about it," he mumbled, cheeks reddening. "Look girl, I don't know who you are, but will you just get offa my case already?!" He said, looking up at her angrily. Mimi gasped.   
  
"Yamato Ishida!" she shouted. "I-It's-you!"   
  
"Mimi?!" he squeaked. "You're here-in Japan?!" She was the last person besides his brother and mom that he wanted to be caught swearing by.   
  
"Of course I'm in Japan! Didn't you get the e-mail I sent everyone?!" she said quite irritated. " I cannot believe this! What's gotten into you?! How can you say such awful things, to me or anyone else for that matter?!"   
  
Matt gulped and desperately began searching for a place to hide. "Ah, sorry Mimi, I just-um, see I--"   
  
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT, MATT!" she yelled. "YOU'RE BEING SUCH A JERK!"   
  
Matt started getting mad. "GET OVER IT MIMI! IT'S JUST A WORD!"   
  
"JUST A WORD, MATT-JUST A WORD?! WELL THEN THIS IS JUST ICEWATER!" Mimi yelled as she threw the rest of her fairly hot coffee on him. Stunned by her sudden action, Matt just stood there for a moment, and Mimi threw her cup in his face before angrily stomping out.   
  
  
Sora blew softly on her bedroom window, and her breath melted a circle of frost away so she could see outside. A gray fluffy day-and today Mimi will be here! She thought excitedly. She wanted to see her friend as soon as she could. Running to the phone in jeans and a pastel wool sweater, the girl excitedly called Mimi's own line. RING, RING....   
  
"Hey Mimi! This is-"   
  
"IF YOUR NAME'S YAMATO ISHIDA, SHUT UP!" An upset voice on the other line yelled before slamming the phone down. Uh oh. Mimi's not too happy.   
Gee, Matt sees her before me? I had no idea he was so into Mimi-I wonder what happened. Well, there's only one way to find out....   
So she grabbed her jacket and gloves, and headed out the door.   
  
Sora hurried through the fast falling snow to Mimi's new apartment building, but on her way she heard shouts of laughter as she rounded the corner. On the lawn of the park, Taichi, Hikari, and Takeru were having a massive snowball fight. They were laughing so hard, they couldn't aim straight. Sora started laughing too when she saw the difficulty they were having.   
  
"Come on Sora, join the fun!" T.K. and Kari screamed.   
  
"Aw thanks, that looks awesome, but I gotta get going!" she reluctantly said.   
  
"The only reason why Sora won't join is because she can't throw a snowball!" Tai teased.   
SPLAT.   
A snowball landed right in the middle of his face. He wiped it off with a gloved hand and grinned at a smug looking Sora. Before she knew what was happening, Tai was hurling a huge ball of snow at her. Sora shrieked and tackled Kari to avoid it. She was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up. Now the girl was thoroughly involved in the fight, and she and Tai teamed up against T.K. and Kari as they pelted the opposing side with snowballs, and for a time, she forgot where she had been headed to in the first place.   
  
In a while, the whole group lay exhausted on the snow with uncontrollable laughter. Sora remembered that she needed to go see Mimi though, and with much effort, stood up in the snow.   
  
"Wait Sora, don't go yet," Tai begged as he grabbed her hand.   
  
"I have to Tai, it's been really fun, but now I really gotta leave-Mimi's here you know, and I was on my way to see her," Sora smiled as she told him.   
  
"Well be a pal and help me up at least," Tai said.   
  
"Sure Tai, anything for you," she grinned with mock sincerity. After she helped Tai to his feet and T.K. and Kari were up, the younger pair waved good-bye.   
  
"See ya later Sora-don't get frostbitten!" Tai warned.   
  
"Me? It's you all that'll be bitten!" she laughed as she hugged her best friend good-bye. "'Later Tai!" she yelled as she ran down the street.   
  
Hurrying back through the crowded streets, Sora glanced at the buildings and the piece of paper she held in her hand. She knew the whereabouts of Mimi's apartment, she just didn't know the exact address. She found the place, a rather nice apartment complex, and ran up the stairs. Sora checked the apartment number, and stood outside of the door, stomping her feet to remove the snow and mud. Then she rang the door bell as she waited, her breath forming cloud puffs in the air. The girl thought she heard a muffled 'come in', so Sora opened the door and stepped inside the warm house.   
  
"Hey Mimi! It's me, Sora!" she didn't hear a reply. "Mimi? Mimi....?" A bedroom door was open and she heard sniffles. Sora slipped in and found a dejected Mimi sitting on her bed, holding a picture frame and sniffing. She didn't see Sora right away, but when she did notice her, she bit her lip and slammed the picture face down on her desk covered with 13 other similar frames. Sora smiled. They were the pictures of every DigiDestend, from Tai to Michael that Mimi had brought to America to remember everyone by. But why was Mimi crying?   
  
"Hey girlfriend," Sora whispered as she put an arm around Mimi. "What's wrong?"   
  
"It's nothing really Sora...I'm just over reacting to things-that's all,"   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
"Yeah," sniff.   
  
"Okay...by the way, what happened between you and Matt?" Mimi looked startled and blushed slightly.   
  
"H-how'd you know?"   
  
"I have psychic vibrations," Sora joked. Mimi rolled her eyes and giggled.   
  
"No seriously, I called you to tell you I was coming over, and got the cold shoulder. A case of mistaken   
identity," she said. "Besides, you're sitting on the bed crying and holding his picture-" the color in Mimi's cheeks deepened. "--I could tell because it was the only one missing!" Sora smiled.   
  
"Okay, okay, I give up," the pink-haired girl sighed.   
  
"So what's goin' on with you two?" Mimi took a deep breath and told everything from the beginning of that morning, ending with,   
  
"Sora what's the matter with him?" Sora thought for a moment.   
  
"Wow Mimi-I don't know what to say...I can't believe Matt would ever do such a thing...I mean, you hear kids say rude things and cuss every day in school, but you never really expect to hear it come from a close friend. Especially the way he's treating people that he thinks he doesn't know...I wish I had an answer, but I don't. Matt has a rock band and all-maybe he's picking up some bad habits from the people he hangs out with-I've never heard him swear before, either..."   
  
"I mean, I guess Matt is right in a sense-it is just a word-but it's the meaning behind the word and the way he was..." the two sat in silence for a moment or two before Sora asked,   
  
"Mimi, did you have a crush on him?" Mimi flopped face down on her bed and pulled a pillow over her head.   
  
"How do you know all this stuff?!" came the muffled reply.   
  
"Like I said, I'm psychic," Sora grinned, tapping her head. "Well for one thing, a girl usually wouldn't get so shaken up about a thing like this-unless she like the guy," Sora winked. Mimi bolted up and threw her pillow at Sora.   
  
"Alright, I admit, I had a slight crush on him. I just think he looks really cute. Like really cute," Mimi sighed.   
  
"Well, he doesn't look too bad," Sora admitted, "But he's not the hottest guy around," she said primly, flipping her hair back.   
  
"Yeah, I know who you like," giggled Mimi. Sora looked startled. "No you don't-because I don't even have a crush on anybody!" Sora said as she stuck her tongue out.   
  
"Yeah right!" Mimi rolled her eyes again. "You like Tai, it's written all over your face!" Sora grabbed Mimi's pillow and threw it at her. "I do not-he's just one of my best friends (the other being you)-just because we like to do stuff together doesn't mean I like him that way!"   
  
"Uh, huh!" Mimi said mischievously as she twirled her hair around her finger. "You're doing a great job of convincing me!"   
  
Sora sighed and smiled. It was great to have Mimi back.   
  
  
Miyako was busy helping her mother in the kitchen baking cookies. She loved this time of year. Family and friends got together, school would be out in a few weeks....she liked that idea! Maybe they should have a Christmas celebration or something this year-after all, Christmas was a holiday they celebrated in America, right? Mimi would know all about that, no doubt. Mimi was here! Miyako almost dropped her bowl. Well, maybe I should call her a little later-she glanced at the clock. She's probably eating lunch right now, Miyako figured. She and her mother whipped up a few more batches of triple-chocolate-fudge-crème-delights, and popped them in the oven. Then she washed her hands, wiped them on her apron, and got ready to take out the next batch of cookies. Just then, the door bell rang.   
  
"I'LL GET IT!" She called. Miyako ran to the door and opened it. To her surprise, Koushiro stood out there, shivering with a container in his arms, and apron over his jacket.   
  
"Izumi senpai*!" The girl said with extreme delight.   
  
"H-hi M-m-miyako-m-m-ind-d if I c-c-ome in a m-m-oment?" he politely asked through chattering teeth.   
  
"Of course! Come right inside!" Izzy stepped in. "Ah, thanks..." he breathed. "Here-I brought something for you-and your family too," Miyako lifted the lid of the container Izzy offered.   
  
"Brownies!" she exclaimed. "Oh Izzy, how thoughtful! Did you make them?"   
  
"Uh, yeah, actually I did," he confessed as he rubbed the back of his neck.   
  
"I wish I had something to give you too-wait a minute-I'll be right back!" Miyako's long purple hair flowed as she ran to the oven and took out a dozen freshly baked triple-chocolate-fudge-crème-delights, and put them in a paper sack with a red ribbon. Perfect-o! Then she ran back over to Koushiro. "Here Izzy," she said in a pleased tone as she presented him with her gift. "Happy Christmas!" A questioning look came over the boy's face, but he then understood her gesture.   
  
"A Christmas gift-like in America?" the girl nodded. "Ah, arigato Miyako-chan! But I think the expression is 'Merry Christmas'," her friend corrected.   
  
"Merry Christmas...." Miyako slowly said. "I like that! Alright then-Merry Christmas it is. Merry Christmas, Izumi senpai!" she called as he left the apartment.   
  
"Miyako-it's not Christmas season quite yet,"   
  
"It's not?"   
  
"No,"   
  
"Um...okay then-will 'have a nice day' work?"   
  
Izzy smiled. "Sure."   
Miyako closed the door and called Mimi.   
  
* senpai is how you address an older school mate in Japanese-especially if you are in a club with them, ie; Miyako and Koushiro in the computer club together. Miyako really does call Izzy this in the Japanese translations, and, she is the only DigiDestened that calls him this term of respect. ^.~   
  
  
Daisuke groaned and stretched after pausing his video game. He was flat out bored. What good was a great snowy day like this when there was no one to play outside with?   
  
"Davis!" ...no one that is except for Jun. "Davis-did you eat my extra giant cookie?!" his sister demanded to know. Davis burped and smacked his lips extra loud.   
  
"Maybe," he said coolly, waiting for her reaction. Silence. Then some muttering from the kitchen.   
  
"Davis!"   
  
"What!"   
  
"Did you eat my Fudgy Mallow Yam-Yums?!" Davis glanced at the wrappers on the floor.   
  
"Maybe," he started up his video game again.   
  
"DAVIS MOTOMIYA!"   
  
"WHAT!"   
  
"Did you eat my slice of pie?!"   
  
"Maybe,"   
  
"My caramel apple bar?!"   
  
"Maybe,"   
  
"MY TRIPLE DECKER BANANA SPLIT?!"   
  
"Maybe," Jun marched into the living room, hands on hips, hair wilder than ever.   
  
"WILL YOU JUST GIVE ME A 'YES' OR 'NO' ANSWER?!"   
  
"Maybe,"   
  
"ARRRRGH! YOU'RE SUCH AN ANNOYING LITTLE BROTHER! I GO TO COLLEGE ALL YEAR, COME HOME FOR WINTER BREAK, AND HOW DO YOU TREAT ME?!" Daisuke looked at her solemnly and let out a large belch. "Now I have nothing to eat since YOU ate everything!" she pointed an accusing finger at him.   
  
"Aw, stop being such a bag of hot air. I never said I had eaten them!"   
  
"Then how do you explain this-" she held up a sticky dish and fork. "And the chocolate around your mouth?!"   
  
"Oh that-well the pie was awfully good. Don't worry though, there's still plenty of food-I saved you the vegetables," Jun glared at him for a moment, then went whining.   
  
"MU-THER! *~sob~* MU-THER! DAVIS IS GETTING ON MY NERVES!"   
  
"Hey-I left you the best part!-it'll give you your vitaminnies and mineralies so you can get pretty and get a date with MATT!" he shouted down the hall as he made loud kissing noises. "Don't tell me you were actually going to eat all that at once! I saved you at least ten pounds!"   
  
Now if only I could get a date with Kari...hey, if vitamins and minerals could work for her, it could work for me too-   
  
"NEVER MIND, JUN! I CLAIM THE VEGETABLES ALSO!" and he started crunching away on a couple of carrots from the refrigerator. Now I gotta find a way to work off these ten pounds, he muttered to himself as he patted his belly.   
  
"Oh heck, I'm going outside to play in the snow anyways-even if it is by myself!" And with that, he got fully dressed in his snow gear, and headed to the park-the only suitable place to play in the snow.   
  
Daisuke rounded the corner, and like Sora, he too heard laughter coming from the park and was just in time to see Kari reach for T.K.'s hand as he pulled her up out of the snow. RRRRRRRRRRRRGH! So they're playing here without me?! I bet this was all 3-D's idea! Someone needs to chaperone these two! You never know what kind of trouble they could get in! he muttered silently to himself. He stomped over to them and opened his mouth real wide to give them a piece of his mind-   
SPLAT   
A huge snowball whammed him in the face, causing him to fall over backwards. Kari rushed over to his side.   
  
"Oh Davis are you hurt much? I'm sorry I hit you so hard," she said sweetly. The fallen boy waved his arms and legs in the air, and Kari laughed. "You're making a snow angel!"   
  
"What?" he said, spitting out the snow. "Oh, I already knew you looked like an angel," he said brushing himself off. Kari made a face.   
  
"Davis, don't be such a dimwit," T.K. strode over to Daisuke and put out his hand.   
  
"Yo Davis, we didn't think you'd ever make it!"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Yeah, Kari and I tried calling you several times this morning, but the line was always busy,"   
  
"Hmph! Jun was gabbing non-stop this morning with some girl-" he pretended to gag. "and she went in the bathroom to do her hair and talk at the same time, but she forgot I was waiting to go really bad for about 45 minutes, so I went outside, rang the doorbell, and yelled, 'Jun! Matt's here to see you!' She fell for it, luckily!" he snickered. T.K. didn't look too pleased. "Hey look, it was all I could think of, okay? I can't help the fact that my older sister has a crush on your brother! Besides, what would you do if you had to go pee for 45 minutes?"   
  
"I'd go in the bushes," Daisuke glared at the blond boy. "Gimme a break, I was just kidding! I guess you have a point though....I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your shoes-but enough chit-chat! We have snow to play in!" Everyone was having lots of fun until Kari and T.K. started ganging up against Davis. They didn't really plan it-not exactly, anyways.   
  
"Hey guys, cut it out!"   
  
"What's the matter Davis-you don't like having snowball fights with us?" Kari taunted as she threw another ball in his face.   
  
"Yeah Motomiya, are you chickening out?" T.K. jeered as he and Kari closed in on the boy.   
  
"No...I just-hey! Quit with the big talk C.K.! You're asking for it!" And Davis ran full speed ahead to tackle the oncoming bully.   
POOF.   
Takeru simply stepped aside, and Daisuke flew headlong into a pile of fluffy snow. T.K. and Kari hooted enthusiastically. Deep inside the downy bank, a silent tear ran down Davis' face, stinging his cheek as he heard the two laughing outside. Why do things like this always happen to me? The boy sadly asked himself...   
  
"T.K., do you think we were a little hard on him?" Kari put her hand on T.K.'s shoulder.   
  
"No-it was just a joke-right?" the girl looked at the two feet sticking out of the snow.   
  
"Yeah...but I don't think Davis knew that," Takeru looked in Kari's direction.   
  
"Well...maybe you're right. Come on, let's go pull him out and apologize," the tall boy decided at last. They walked over to the legs and grabbed one a piece, and together they dragged him out. Before Daisuke could move, Kari sat on top of him.   
  
"Hey Davis...T.K. and I just wanted to say that..."   
  
"We're sorry,"   
  
"Yeah, we only meant for it to be a joke, but I guess it didn't turn out so funny after all..."   
  
"...so...could you please forgive us?" T.K. and Kari asking for his forgiveness? My, my, my, Daisuke was feeling pretty special...   
  
"Hmph...I dunno...that was a pretty mean thing you guys did..."   
  
"Please Davis?" Kari asked as she rumpled the snow out of his hair. An electric shock went through Daisuke when Kari did that, making his numb, cold body warm and tingly.   
  
"Of course I forgive you Kari," he said smiling up at her. "Oh, and I forgive you too T.K.," T.K. grinned.   
  
"Friends again?" he asked as he gave Daisuke a helping hand up.   
  
"Yeah, friends," Davis said as he shook it.   
  
Beginning of Chapter 5   
Sora, Mimi and Tai sat in his kitchen drinking hot cocoa and visiting.   
  
"Glad to see those three getting along better," Sora smiled, jacking her thumb to the scene outside.   
  
"Yeah...that Davis..." Tai chuckled. "He really seems to have a thing for my sister,"   
  
"Well what can we say-the Yagami's are really good looking, right Sora?" Mimi nudged the girl next to her. Sora's face flushed and she managed to stammer out,   
  
"W-why Mimi, I have n-no idea what you're talking about," she chuckled nervously. Tai caught her eye, but she fumbled with her cup and proclaimed a little louder than needed,   
  
"Um, alright, what dishes shall we make for our Digi-reunion?"   
  
"Sora. We're going out to dinner," Tai reminded her with a grin.   
  
"Oh-yeah, I knew that-just trying to make 'pleasant conversation', heh, heh," Tai and Mimi raised their eyebrows at each other over Sora's head.   
  
"And it's at Hoppy's Diner, so you don't forget," Mimi reminded her.   
  
"Everyone's been called about it, right?"   
  
"Yep. It's all set for next Saturday unless too many people can't make it," the other girl replied. Just then the phone rang.   
  
"I'll get it!" Sora volunteered, eager to get away from the kitchen for a moment "Yagami residence, whom would you like to speak with?" Mimi silently snickered at what Sora just said, but suddenly became very somber and quiet at her best friend's next words. "Hey Matt! Yeah, he's here-no? Okay-yeah-well this was just supposed to be for all of us-I-I see....hmmm. *sigh* I suppose so...alright. Okay. Bye," Sora got off the phone and stood in the hallway for a moment with a hand on her mouth, thinking. Then she walked back to the kitchen.   
  
"Change the reservations for one more Tai. Matt's got a new girlfriend,"   
  
  
  
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~Cliffhanger huh? ^_^ Okay, maybe a cliffhanger? Like I said, tell me what you think, I love opinions. Oh poor Dai-Dai! *sniff* :PWell thanks so much for reading!~Taigurl~   
  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

I just want to say thanks to each and every one of you who read my story and gave it a review. You encouraged me to continue with this saga, and I am quite honored to be on some of y'all's author alerts!   
  
Just to make things clear, here are the ages of every one;  
  
Joe-18  
Matt, Tai, Sora-16  
Mimi, Izzy-15  
Miyako-14  
Daisuke, Kari, T.K., Ken-13  
Iori-11   
  
Okay, so, it probably doesn't snow as heavily as I make it seem in Tokyo, but who cares? ^_^  
  
Let It Snow: Part 2  
Chapter 5  
Mimi sat tensely on the Yagami's kitchen stool waiting for Sora to finish the phone call. She couldn't quite make out words, but she could tell from the sound of Sora's voice, that the girl wasn't too pleased. Stop worrying-it's just Matt...she told herself, trying to brush it all off and look uninterested. Unconsciously she started twisting her paper napkin with such gusto, that Tai was looking at her oddly.   
  
"Oh, um-sorry-I uh, think I'll just, ah--" Sora set the phone back on its receiver-more like slammed it in a disgusted sort of way, then she walked over to Mimi and Tai.   
  
"Make room for one more on the reservation list Tai. Matt's got a new girlfriend,"   
  
For a brief moment Mimi's eyes were filled with terror, but immediately she concealed it.  
  
"I think that I'll-um-go to the bathroom....? Now.." the girl said finishing her sentence. She slid off the stool and walked slowly down the hall. Then she stopped. Mimi heard Sora and Tai talking about her and Matt. She tiptoed back to the front of the corridor and crouched at the entrance.  
  
"Hey Sora-is Mimi okay?" Tai asked.  
  
"Mmmm...yes..." she said carefully, not wanting to betray Mimi's secret crush to Tai at the moment.   
  
"Okay-she looked kinda white for a moment there-"  
  
"I think it's the shock of hearing about Matt's new girlfriend. He hasn't kept in much contact with her I guess," Matt's 'new' girlfriend? Mimi thought suspiciously. Tai sighed and pulled a pad of paper from out under the kitchen sink. Then he made a large tally mark.  
  
"Fifth girl this month. I wonder how long she'll last..." Mimi stifled a gasp with her hand. "Matt's a real ladies' man-girls would kill to go out with him, but he can't keep a date for more than a week it seems. He gets bored really easily Sora. They're too loud, too quiet, too this, too that-basically they don't seem to understand him-or so he says,"  
  
"Well I think he's asking too much out of a girl,"  
  
"We all have our preferences, you know," Tai said sliding closer to her.  
  
"I guess...but he shouldn't be dating them and then dumping them-that's just not right...plus he gets a rep..." Tai shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Maybe, but he's one of those 'musicians'-"  
  
"People just can't blame it all on that! Yamato was a perfectly well behaved and popular musician before all this-I don't see how this 'new groove' is improving him any," Sora said crossly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right..."  
  
"Well you better call Hoppy's. I didn't want to tell you right now with Mimi here, but we really have to reserve that extra seat-and I think it's better for Mimi if to know about this now-then on the night of our get-together," Sora said. Tai scratched his bushy head.  
  
Sora had a faraway look in her eyes-she couldn't help worrying about how Mimi would react to this when she found out. She'd find out about this soon....  
She felt her hand slip into a larger one.  
  
"Hey Sora-everything will turn out fine-you'll see-" Tai said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. She smiled up at him.  
  
"Thanks Tai. Mimi should be out by now-don't you think?" Mimi immediately remembered, and quickly tiptoed to the end of the hall, the walked at a normal pace back to the pair sitting in the kitchen. The girl decided to forget her melancholy situation for the time being, and have some fun-  
  
"So what have you two been doing while Little Miss Mimi had her back turned-hmm..?" she asked, eyeing their hands. The two blushed and Tai started vigorously rubbing Sora's hand.  
  
"Just-uh-Sora thought she had a little frostbite-that's all-all the playing in the snow you know? Heh, heh,"  
  
"Yeah-this snow's unusually....um-frostbite prone," Sora chimed in.  
  
"Oh of course Sora! I knew that! And frostbite only happens when no one's in the room-right Tai?"  
  
"Ah-well, I mean...that seems to-um, be the case!"  
  
"Tai! You have to call Hoppy's!" Sora reminded him.  
  
"Great idea! Brilliant idea! See Mimi, if Sora hadn't been rubbing my hand, I wouldn't be able to-"  
  
"Oh shut up and 'fess up that you were holding her hand, why don't you! The bearer of Courage is such a coward when it comes to Love! -er, I mean girls!" Mimi said exasperatedly.   
  
The following week passed by uneventfully as almost everyone waited for Saturday to arrive. Word had gotten around about Matt's new sweetheart, and Sora tried searching for her in vain at school. Tai caught up with Sora at locker break though, and gave her a piece of gossip.  
  
"Yo Sora-she's not here,"  
  
"Who's not here?"  
  
"Romeo's Juliet,"  
  
"So she doesn't go to our school? How'd you find out?"  
  
"Did a little research on the library's computer,"  
  
"Is she older then?"  
  
"She'd have to be a lot older-but I doubt that's the case. I think she's in another school district,"  
  
"Probably met her through his band..." Sora mused quietly to herself. "Hey-you'd have to know her name to do research-what is it?"  
  
"My lips are sealed,"  
  
"Come on-you can tell me, I'm your best friend!" Sora coaxed.  
  
"Yeah, and so is Matt," the girl was about to protest, but then it occurred to her that what Tai was doing for Matt, was the same as what she had done for Mimi.  
  
"Alright-I'll leave that subject alone, but what else did you find?"  
  
"That's all he told me,"  
  
"That's it? He only told you her name?"  
  
"Yep. Look's like we're just going to have to wait and see until Friday," Sora groaned.  
  
"But that's so far away!"  
  
"Hey, we're all waiting the same amount of time-" The bell rang for third period. "Gotta go-see ya Sora," Tai said as he slapped her back.  
  
Chapter 6  
Saturday evening, Mimi's stomach was in knots. She called Sora.  
  
"Hi Sora-Mimi. Listen-I think I'm going to cancel going to this whole thing-I'm feeling kind of sick and dizzy and it's probably best if--,"  
  
"Best if what?" a voice behind her asked. Mimi turned around in her slip, hair in rollers, and half a makeup job done.  
  
"Sora!" she exclaimed, dropping her phone. "Sora-how'd-"  
  
"My vibes girl-come on, we've gotta get you ready!"  
  
"But-I'm not going," Mimi faltered.  
  
"Sure you are, a little nervousness is no reason to stay home in bed. It's like a roller coaster; the butterflies will be over in a few minutes,"  
  
"Well-alright," Mimi decided at last. "But help me find something to wear-I bought 15 new outfits and none of them seems right!" she said in frustration as she waved her hand to the jumble of clothes on her bed.  
  
"Just pick one Mimi-you look great in everything," Sora said as she took the curlers out of her friend's hair.  
  
"Egh, you've got to be kidding! You're the one who's always so together!" she said. "I mean, just look at you!" Sora was wearing a midnight blue, ribbed long sleeved turtleneck, with bright red and orange horizontal stripes in the middle, and of course, her trusty jeans.  
  
"Oh come on, all I have is a new shirt! Now choose something quick 'cause we haven't much time,"  
  
"Okay, how about this outfit?" Mimi asked, holding one up.  
  
"Mimi, it's winter,"  
  
"Okay, this?"  
  
"To dressy,"  
  
"This one?"  
  
"Still too dressy,"  
  
"This?"  
  
"We're not going to the ball!"  
  
"I give up!"  
  
"Pants Mimi, think pants, not pink. Do you have anything that's not pink? No? ...Here, try this one-" Sora held up a fluffy light pink sweater with a wide white band in the middle. It was slightly shimmery, and went well with the white cargo flares Mimi was distractedly holding. She snatched them from Mimi and put the two together, shaking them in her face. "Look! It's perfect! Now hurry and dress-you'll look great!" Twenty minutes later Mimi emerged from the bathroom with her new outfit on and finished makeup, and stood in front of her full-length mirror.  
  
"Ah...I feel so comfortable in it-much better than any of those other things I picked out!" She said, admiring her reflection. Sora quickly tied half of her hair back with a pink satin ribbon.  
  
"As Miyako would say-bingo*! You look very sweet in it,"  
  
"A little too sweet do you think? Oh who cares! Come on Sora, let's get going!"  
  
"Hold it a moment-I have to straighten the room a little-all the clothes on the floor are bothering me-"  
  
"We'll deal with it later! Now is not the time to be a neat freak!" Mimi exclaimed impatiently as she pulled Sora out the door with their jackets.  
  
"Aright-I guess..."  
  
"Stop worrying and relax!"  
  
"We kinda switched roles, now didn't we?  
  
"I'm just saying that to calm myself-and you,"  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes you-you're dying as much as I to see who Matt's girlfriend is,"  
  
"Maybe....come on, we're almost there!"  
  
*bingo-Miyako's word in the Japanese Digimon. Not perfecto.  
  
Chapter 7  
The two girls stopped under the red and white awning of Hoppy's Diner, one of the only large American restaurants nearby. The golden light from inside spilled out from the windows and onto Sora and Mimi. The former put her hands on the window and peeked inside, trying to locate their table. She spotted it, and pulled back saying, "There they are. Now remember Mimi, this is a Digireunion to celebrate all of us being back-except of course Wallace and Michael. It's not about giving Matt a good impression, okay? Just loosen up a bit and ignore his girlfriend as long as you can do it without being rude. Have some fun, 'K?"  
  
"Fine," Mimi sighed. "Does my hair look alright?"  
  
"Mimi! Look, your hair always looks great-now lets go inside-I'm freezing out here!" They pulled open the doors and walked in. The Three Punctuals, Iori, Izzy, and Joe were already there and waiting.  
  
"....and so the mathematician said to Bob-now this is the punchline-it's a discomBOBulated verification! Hahahahaha!!" Izzy would have been rolling on the floor if it weren't for the fact that he was scrunched in a booth with two others. Iori roared in laughter; while Joe-just-sat there.  
"I don't get it-how could it be discombobulated if the inference was-" Izzy slapped Joe on the shoulder.  
  
"Joe-it's a joke-"  
  
"A joke?"  
  
"Um-yeah-a joke,"  
  
"A joke...oh! I get it now! Hahahaha!" The two girls walked over and Sora asked,  
  
"Hey guys, is anyone else here?"  
  
"No," Joe said glumly, "Just us. Why don't you come and join us? It's getting rather lonesome over here,"  
  
"Of course! That's what we were going to do-but, this booth is gonna be too small for all of us to fit-let's move some tables-" so they did, and sat down. The others started arriving-T.K., Kari, and Daisuke-Sora rushed over to Kari. "Hey Kari-" She said trying to sound casual, "Is uh, Tai gonna be here anytime soon?"  
  
"Tai? Oh yeah, he just had to get some homework done before he came. Mom's rule ya know," Just then the door opened, and in strutted Matt like he owned the place, with a girl hanging on his arm. She wore a black velvet coat with feathers around her slim white throat. The coat came down barley to the tops of her knees, and she wore black strappy high-heels. Her dress was so short, Sora couldn't even see it under the coat, and her long legs were bare.   
  
Dang it Tai! Sora yelled in her head. Where are you?! You've GOT to see who Matt's picked up this time! On second thought-maybe not! She thought again as the girl sat down next to Matt and removed her jacket, exposing a revealing dress. Matt's blue eyes looked at Mimi coldly. The three boys already occupying the booth grew squirmish.  
  
"Um you know, this seating area's getting a little-crowded," Iori said nudging Joe.  
  
"I'm getting a bad case of claustrophobia, so maybe it'd be best if we-"  
  
"Movetoanotherseat OH, LOOK AT THE TIME! WE GOTTA GO-THERE'S MIYAKO!" Izzy said loudly, eager to get away. The trio quickly slid out.  
  
"Where is she?" Iori asked.  
  
"Well whadd'ya know-she really is coming!" Izzy exclaimed. "But wait! Do I see someone coming with her?!" Miyako came in followed by Ken, and from a side entrance, Tai appeared with a paper bag under his arm and a big smile.   
  
"Hey Sora! Guess wh-" Sora made frantic motions with her arms to try to signal 'go away-meet me outside' but it didn't exactly work. Tai stopped in his tracks and his eyes popped out of their sockets when he saw Matt's girl. "*gak* What kind of a gross-" Sora ran over to Tai and dragged him in line as if they were going to order food.  
  
"Listen-see that-that-thing sitting over there with Matt?"  
  
"The 'thing' with the legs?"   
  
"Ugh, Tai!"  
  
"You know you look pretty when you say that,"  
  
"Oh shut up and listen!" Sora's lips threatened to smile. "That's Matt's g-"  
"RINI?!"  
  
"SSSHHHHH! What's a Rini?!"  
  
"You mean 'who'-see that over there-" Tai put his hands on Sora's head and turned it so she was facing the girl. "That's Rini,"  
  
"Sheesh. Just look at how she dresses! I mean, is it cold enough yet?! Alright well listen-as much as I hate her being here, we've got to at least be polite. Fake it if you can't mean it," *cough* "Like me," and she sauntered off in the direction of the table. Uh, oh Mimi's sitting there! I hope she's not stirring up any trouble...surprisingly though, it seemed as if Mimi and Rini were getting along fine-that is, until she heard the 'feminine code'.   
  
"Hello, my name is Sora," she said warmly, extending her hand, "Are you finding everything well? (I hope not so you can leave)"  
  
"Yes thank you-I'm Rini," she said accepting the offered hand. "And you're the waitress? (you're about as ugly as one)" Sora's smile faded.  
  
"No. I'm one of Matt's friends. Part of the group here tonight. (the INVITED group)" She said coolly.  
  
"Oh I'm so sorry. My mistake. (yeah right)" she said sweetly.   
  
"Oh no problem (do that one more time and I'll bite your head off)! Listen, I'm going to order now, so I'll be back later (now I'll go tell everyone what a creep you are)!"  
  
"Okay, see ya, (yesss. One down, one more to go)" then Rini turned to Mimi. "So Mini-"   
  
"It's Mimi,"  
  
"So Mimi, how long have you known Matt? (bet I've known him longer-don't even think about it, he's mine)" Mimi glanced at him.  
  
"For quite a long time-since I was in the fourth grade (take that you underdressed witch)," Rini's eyebrows shot up in surprise but she said nothing. Matt returned to the table after chatting with the rest of the group.  
  
"So Rini, I see you've met Mimi,"  
  
"Yes...a lovely girl (the little *****! You never told me about her!),"  
  
"I'm over here in case you need anything babe," he said. Mimi felt like throwing up. Throwing up all over Rini and her scantly clothes.   
  
"That's an interesting dress you have on (can the top get any lower?),"  
  
"Isn't it? I thought it was rather attractive myself," she said smiling, showing her perfect rows of dazzling white teeth.   
  
"Um, yeah (so, what do you have stuffed down there anyways?)," Sora and Tai started bringing the burgers and fries to everyone. Mimi's appetite was ruined now that She was sitting right before her. The dress She had on was perfectly disgusting and far too revealing. This is a friendly gathering not a nightclub, Mimi muttered under her breath. Between bites of burger, she couldn't help but notice how beautifully blonde Rini was, her long golden locks perfectly curled. I wonder how many bottles of Blonde-So-True it took to achieve that effect, Mimi thought. Rini looked like a super model. It was easy to see why Matt liked her. She was gorgeous. And her beautiful sapphire eyes fringed with long velvet eyelashes were quite stunning. Mimi suddenly began to feel dissatisfied with herself. I look so childish, I'm no where's near as thin or pretty as Rini is. As Mimi was wallowing in gloom and discontentment, Sora decided to bring Mimi over to her table. Sora couldn't help but notice how fresh and innocent Mimi appeared next to Rini. She could tell things were not going well over there.  
  
"Mimi, why don't you come sit with us," Sora said.   
  
"Alright..." Mimi agreed. Mimi cheered up considerably, and the rest of the evening went by smoothly until Rini started making a fuss.  
  
"Yamato-kun, let's go," she pouted.  
  
"Hold on a moment baby,"  
  
"NOW, Matt, NOW!"   
  
"Okay, okay, we're going," he said. Gosh, I've never seen Matt give in so easily...Tai thought. On their way out, Matt asked, "What was that fuss all about?"  
  
"Oh you know-I was getting bored," She said smiling slyly at him. "Besides, those kids you hang out with are such immature, childish squares. The most BORING people I've ever had to put up with. DON'T put me through that kind of suffering again, Mattie-chan," she said dramatically. "You could never understand what torture it was for me to be polite to those repulsive idiots!" Something inside of Matt pricked his soul when she said that, but he ignored it...  
  
Chapter 8  
The air was lifted at Hoppy's diner that evening, and everyone felt that they could breathe easier after Matt and Rini left. The remaining DigiDesteneds joked and chatted a while longer before finishing up the rest of dinner. Soon it was time for everyone to go home.  
  
"Miyako, do you need a ride home?" Ken offered.  
  
"Sure Ken, I love riding on mopeds!" Izzy overheard their conversation and walked over to them.  
  
"You know Yolei, mopeds aren't really that safe to ride," Izzy said.  
  
"Oh really? Well, I better go now Izzy-Ken offered to take me home, isn't that nice? And he stopped to pick me up when he saw me walking in the snow this evening!"  
  
"If you don't want to ride with me, that's okay," Ken told the older girl. "I just want to let you know I'm leaving now,"  
  
"Uh-I have a moped-want a ride home?" Izzy offered. Miyako's eyes sparkled with delight.  
  
"Oh Koushiro-san how sweet of you! I'd love a ride! You can go now Ken-Izzy's taking me home! Thanks anyways!"  
  
"'K, see you all later!" Ken called out as he left the restaurant. Miyako strapped on Izzy's spare helmet and held on to him tightly as they sped off into the darkness (oh dear). Joe thought it was about time to leave as well. He really needed to get some rest for an upcoming medical exam. After saying their farewells, he and Iori walked to the subway station.  
  
"May I have the pleasure of walking you home?" T.K. asked Kari.  
  
"NO! May I have the pleasure of walking you home!" Davis asked, pushing T.K. aside. Kari stuck her nose in the air.  
  
"Actually, I can walk myself home, thank you very much!" She said to the two boys as she swung the glass entryway open and stepped out onto the sidewalk.  
  
"Wait for me!" T.K. and Daisuke yelled. The doors slammed in their faces. Then they simultaneously yanked open the double doors and went racing down the street after the object of their affection. Mimi grabbed her coat off of a seat and went chasing after the boys.  
  
"Mimi! Where are you going?" Sora called.  
  
"Someone's gota make sure those two don't kill themselves!" she laughed, then winked at her friend.   
  
"Oh no you don't-" Sora began. But it was too late. Her friend took off, leaving her and Tai alone in the diner. Why did I know this was in her mind?! Sora muttered to herself. The boy came up to her,  
  
"May I have the pleasure of walking you home?" he grinned, reenacting the previous scene.  
  
"Oh I guess. We're both heading in the same direction anyways," she said, hoping to sound nonchalant. Sora put on her coat and scarf, prayed Tai couldn't hear her heart doing 'sixty, and calmly walked out the door with him. The couple walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Tai stopped under a lamppost.  
  
"Hey Sora...I thought that since we, uh-just 'happened' to be heading in the same direction, I might as well give you this-" He gave her the paper bag.  
  
"For me?" Tai nodded. Sora opened it up, and inside was a huge solid chocolate heart. The girl's eyes lit up with pleasure and surprise at the present.   
  
"Well...you know, you have the crest of Love-so I thought maybe a heart-"  
  
"Oh Tai....that's the sweetest gift anyone's ever given me!" she exclaimed, and then put her arm around his neck and gave the boy a kiss on his cheek. He blushed with happiness, and put his arms around her waist while they both just stood there, staring into each other's eyes as the snow fell around them....it was perfect...a Kodak moment....  
A Kodak moment.  
Kari ran around the building and skidded to a stop with Davis and T.K. in tow.   
  
"Do you see them?" whispered Mimi. Kari spotted Sora and her older brother across the street.   
  
"Yep," Immediately she pulled out her digital camera and zoomed in really close.  
CLICK.   
"Gotcha!" She whispered. Then hung her camera around her neck and took off running again.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
  
After losing T.K. and Daisuke, Mimi and Kari stopped by her apartment.   
  
"That was a little mean to do that to the boys, don't you think?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Listen, if they're dumb enough to chase me around the city, then they deserve it. Besides, we have-some work to do," Kari snickered.  
  
"Okay. Get the film on the computer and e-mail me the pictures as soon as you can-I better leave, Tai could come home at any second!"  
  
"Alright-se ya later! Hold on a moment though-lemme give you a stack of these printer stickers-" She handed some to Mimi and the older teen quickly ran home.  
  
  
Kari slammed her blaring alarm off so no one would hear, and peeked an eye open at the time.  
1:15 A.M.  
She lay in bed for a moment longer, and quietly slid down the bunk bed ladder, making sure she didn't wake up the snoring Tai. What am I afraid of? Tai sleeps like a log. Just gotta make sure Mom and Dad don't hear me....  
Then she softly tip-toed to the computer room and closed the door behind her. Her digital camera lay on the table next to the monitor, and she aroused the sleeping computer. Kari could barely contain her giggles. As she waited for the computer to download, she fed the printer some of her special paper, then clicked the digital-camera film developing software.   
  
"Perfect!" She whispered when she saw how it turned out. "Now....let's just adjust the size a little....and...print!   
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*  
  
^_^ And I'm gonna leave ya here for now! Just to let you know, I'll be posting a new sequal once a week. D'ja like it? All this Taiora....I'm starting not to like Sora anymore-I'm getting extremely jealous! ^.~ Oh, um, before you go, would you mind filling out a little survey? You don't have to do it if you don't want, but it would be nice if you could do at least some of the questions. ^_^  
  
1. A B C D FHow would you rate this story?  
2. What do you think of Rini? (SLUT!) Do you like her? (NOOOOO!)  
3. What do you think should happen to her? (heh heh snicker, snicker)  
4. Would you be interested in another series I'm working on?  
5. Your comments  
That's all! Thanks again to every one of you who took the time to actually put a review down!   
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

To all my loyal and supportive fans out there, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I couldn't have done it without y'all! The encouraging reviews have kept my interest from flagging, and helping me realize people actually read my stuff and are WAITING for the next chapter! I apologize for it not coming out sooner, but between the Sorato crap happening and my computer freaking out on me every time I wrote this, it just was difficult to do. But remember, I will always finish my story no matter how long it takes, so have faith! ::Taigurl bursts into a Kleenex moment as Firenzie placidly hands her a tissue box:: *blows nose*   
  
  
.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.  
  
  
Let It Snow: Part 3  
  
  
Kari Yagami snickered hysterically as she e-mailed Mimi the picture. Realizing she had to stop before her parents woke up, she made an attempt to control her laughter, which only resulted in a snort. It wasn't just the picture that caused such commotion, but the plan she and Mimi were about to carry out. Printing up a whole batch of the previously mentioned file, Kari calmed herself down with a few breathing exercises and tip-toed back to her room.  
  
From there, she quietly unzipped Tai's book-bag, and stuck the three inch sticker on the cover of every book in there. Then with more giggles, she opened up his drawer and put one on all of his jumbled up clothes-even his underwear! She made sure to use up every single one on all of his stuff, but there was one leftover. Kari bounced it on the tip of her finger as she contemplated where to put it. Straining her eyes in the dark, she spied the bunk. Aha! She got an idea.   
  
Softly the young girl moved to her brother's bed. She sucked in her stomach and held her breath as she prepared to place the sticker, and did some quick calculating. Right above Taichi's head was where the sticker was to be placed. She leaned over and…..  
  
ZZZZZZZZRRZZZZZRRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZR  
  
Kari bumped her head on the bottom of her bed from shock at the loud sound emitted from Tai. She scrunched up her eyes and opened her mouth as she crammed her fingers in her ears.   
  
ZZZZZZZZZZRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZRRZZZZZRZZRZ  
  
Tai's young sister felt the wood floor furiously, and snatched two stray socks that had fallen. ::Please let these not be Tai's…:: she prayed ferverently as she crammed them in her ears.  
  
zzzzzzrrrrrrzzrzzzzzzrrr  
  
Well….the noise was reduced somewhat. Once more she positioned herself, and slapped the sticker where Tai would be sure to see it first thing in the morning. Then with her fingers, she rubbed it vigorously to make sure it wouldn't come off. Exploding with giggles, she ran up the ladder to her bed and threw down the socks before laughing into her pillow.  
  
  
.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.  
  
  
Mimi waited impatiently before her blaring computer screen as she clicked the 'refresh' button repeatedly. A box popped up displaying the long awaited 'you have one new message' signal, which she eagerly clicked. Her eyes quickly scanned the hastily typed note, then she opened the attached file and laughed. ::The picture turned out better than I thought!:: Mimi joyfully exclaimed in her head. Reproducing multiple copies of it, she girl slipped on her coat and snatched up the freshly printed stickers which she then transferred into to her old brown cowgirl bag. Mimi hadn't bothered changing into her nightclothes. She simply lay under her covers until the right time.   
  
Quickly sneaking out the door of her home, Mimi could not believe she was actually doing this--that Kari had actually talked her into it! ::Well…it was partly your idea too…:: she reminded herself. Thoughts started creeping into her mind…about what could happen to young girls who roamed the city at night. ::It's too late to turn back now…I have to keep my half of the deal…:: she shoved the thoughts out of her mind, pulled her coat tighter around her, and continued her trek. Before she knew it, she was on the street where Sora's apartment building resided, and climbed up the long flight.   
  
"Okay…cross your fingers and say a prayer for luck," Mimi said in a low voice as she tried the handle on Sora's door. whisper  
  
Jiggle. JIGGLE. JIGGLE.  
  
"Darn it!" Mimi fiercely cried in a soft tone as she yanked the metal bar down. "It's locked!" She turned around and was about to leave, when a glimmer caught her eye through the door. She raised her brow questionably, and saw it was the sliding lock. "Perhaps there's a chance I might…." Mimi hastily searched her pockets for a hairpin…barrette…anything. "Yes-s!" She whispered jubilantly. "My trusty credit card! Thank--you--Daddy!" She quietly sang out as she kissed it happily. Sliding it through the crack, she wiggled and rattled the thin piece of plastic until the sound the had been waiting for greeted her ears.  
  
Pop.  
  
Slowly and carefully she tried the handle again, and this time it gave no resistance. ::Please let there not be a-::  
  
Creeeeeeeeeeeak.  
  
Mimi flinched at the noise, and decided to open the door with one full swing, reducing the noise heard, but letting in the cold. ::Yikes-I'm surprised no one is awake--the Takenouchi's must sleep like logs!:: Quickly closing the door, Mimi allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark before daring to proceed any further. Once she was accustomed to the setting around her, she slowly crept down the hall to Sora's room and pushed the door open with her toe. Mimi held her breath and kept a watchful eye on her target as she began to apply the staple of her practical joke. Then she let out a tiny wicked cackle.   
  
"I've always wanted to do that," she giggled.  
  
  
.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.  
  
  
Long after midnight, Mimi stepped out of the apartment with a yawn and sleepily closed Sora's door. Soon though, a burst of cold air revived her and the sense of accomplishment she had achieved. Mimi skipped a bit out of excitement and the need to get warm as she took a shorter route on a different road to her home. ::Let's see…I cut through the alleyway between the third and fourth building, then go half a block down and turn right, then take another right,:: she recalled, reaching this point. ::Or was it a left? It might have been…:: Some parts of the city looked familiar, but others did not. How could she be absolutely sure she was going the right way? After all, it had been three years since she last lived here, and three years can bring about a lot of change…  
  
::I'm not lost, I'm not lost…:: the girl told herself. 45 minutes slowly ticked by, and fear's roots were implanting themselves at alarming rates. Her heart beat uncontrollably at the thought of how vulnerable she was out here… Mimi paused for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts, and she perceived music far off in the distance. Listening carefully, she followed the noise in hope, until she came to a brightly lit part of town. ::Where is this? I have never been here before…::   
  
Flashy, sporadic neon lights blinded her and sound blasted out of seedy buildings. The charred smell of smoke and alcohol was infused into the thick, choking, atmosphere which clogged one's lungs and stupefied the mind. Gaudy people strutting down the noisy asphalted lanes stepped on and over drunken men laying in the littered streets. Trash rambled and somersaulted away from the cold breeze which swept through the site like a dark knight on his horse.   
  
Mimi wrapped her knee-length coat about her a bit more tightly as she walked in patterns of light and dark, avoiding vomit piles and anyone who came near her. She realized she had gone too far and had now entered 'the bad part of town'. Her spirit was trembling in fright though she tried to walk with a sure step and appear unafraid. Some of the girls there looked so young--::How could they do this to themselves?:: she cried inwardly. Mimi's sweet innocence and naiveté had no place in this dirty, unrealistic world of sin.  
  
Moving quickly, the joints began to lessen and with each step Mimi felt reassured. But the hair on her neck was prickling and she knew it couldn't mean something good. With hasty glances over the shoulder, Mimi saw a man--following her. Following her. Following her…  
  
"If it's money you want, I don't have any!" she panicked, breaking out into a run. In frantic desperation, Mimi darted into a dark alleyway, tripping over empty bottles and her tall boots in the mire. She ran her hand along the cutting bricks to stabilize herself, sounds of anguish escaping her lips. Panting heavily, she hid behind the shadows of a dumpster waiting for the terrible moment when the man would come. But he never did.   
  
::No one was really after me…it's okay now…:: she told herself, but it really wasn't. Mimi was as lost as ever and had no hope of getting back anytime soon. Tears warmed her cold cheeks as they slid slowly down her face and into a slimy puddle. It seemed as though the whole city was against her, playing a cruel game of Mimi in the Labyrinth. Exhausted, Mimi sat down on an empty crate to try and think rationally--something she had never been good at doing.  
  
"Don't cry…" she whispered, shuddering a bit to choke back a sob. "Crying is of no use to you. You're a stronger Mimi now, remember?" tears gathered on the tips of her long lashes and she snuffled mournfully as a few more splashed her muddy platforms. Angrily she wiped her eyes and buried a bubble gum pink head into her weary arms, weeping without restraint. She felt as small as the ten year old girl in her memory once did. "Oh Palmon, I wish you were here," she sniffed.  
  
A cigarette flew out of a window and smoldered on the wet ground besides her foot. Mimi's teary eyes looked up, and was surprised to see a window slid all the way open on a cold night like this. A shrill commanding voice reached her ears. It sounded so familiar…but who was it? Searching every part of her memory, she soon had the answer, and was determined to find out more.  
  
The tears were banished from her and Mimi stood up, a plan already forming in her mind. ::I know it's just a crazy hunch, but wouldn't all this be worth it if I were right? No, you can't do this again…look what following a sound got you into last time! But maybe being brave does have its rewards…:: With a deep breath of newfound resolution, she stacked a few more crates; her heart thumping wildly and mittened hands tingling with the chill of excitement.   
  
Eyeing a skinny metal ladder in the dimness, Mimi judged it would be too difficult to climb with her shoes, so taking a risk, she jerked off her boots and lay them on a box with her leather bag and gloves. Using the crates to boost her up, she was able to grab onto the bottom rung and pull up from there. Her chilled fingers and toes paid the price for the feat she was about to undertake.  
  
She said goodbye to her brand new pair of black tights, and scaled the ancient ladder anyway. Quickly but carefully she came up, encouraged by the voice becoming louder as she continued. Finally Mimi was level with the open window, and glad it was too dark to see down for it was a long fall. Snatches of talk reached her ears. It appeared to be she had just arrived at the beginning of a conversation.  
  
"You better be right about this whole 'energy mine' or I am really gonna kick your ass for the trouble I'm going through!"   
  
"God I'm FREEZING in here! Damn window is stuck in this cheap dump!"  
  
Mimi cringed at the crude words that spewed out of this girl's mouth. What could possibly be rocking her boat at this hour of night? She could smell the smoke of another cigarette, which threatened to make her cough.  
  
"Yes you idiot, I am SURE no one is out there!" she stuck a blond head out the window to take a peek anyways. Mimi held her breath and was absolutely still. Rini blew a puff of smoke right in her face. As soon as she was back inside Mimi coughed.  
  
"It's just some smashed fool out there, Bino! God, I swear…"  
  
"The next time you call me at three A.M., I'm turning you in! I don't care that you're in a time zone fifty kajillion miles away! It's not convenient for ME! GET IT?!"  
  
A cold wind blew through the alley, blocking out whatever else Rini said. Mimi wrapped her arms around the tiny ladder and stood on top of a foot to keep it warm. She was so tired…  
  
"…destroying it now. Don't worry, no one will ever find out," a lighter flicked on and a small sheet slowly burning, floated to the ground. Mimi watched it descend like a falling leaf and grabbed for it in vain, but it slipped beyond her reach. Craning her body to see where it would land, she let one arm go and watched as the paper stuck to the side of the wet dumpster, which suffocated the flame.  
  
Another sharp current of air startled Mimi and she gasped in fright, quickly clinging to her life support with both arms and moved to switch feet. But it was tricky to do it right in such a small space with slippery stockings. She put her foot down on the rung below.  
  
Mimi's eyes bulged and she bit her lip in pain to keep from crying out. A twisted piece of rust dug into the tender arch of her foot. She lifted her foot and tried hopping down the ladder but began to slip three quarters of the way.  
  
"Oh shoooot!" Mimi's hushed cry came as she slid and fell onto the crates, which toppled over and left her sprawling on the dirty, wet street. As soon as she concluded her foot was alright, she yanked on her boots.  
  
"Ya DAMN DRUNK!" Rini shouted, throwing a sake bottle out the window.   
  
Mimi dodged as it shattered to pieces, then grabbed her stuff when the silence returned. She was about to leave when she remembered the paper affixed to the rubbish collector. Putting aside her personal disgust for filth, Mimi slid her hand along the backside until she felt the soaked rag. Then she left and walked out onto the street.  
  
Standing under a lamplight, the small sheet was carefully spread across her palm and Mimi discovered an address on one side.  
  
"Maraba, Brazil…? What's in Brazil?" murmured Mimi.   
  
The flame had burned off the zip-code and the water ran some letters, but it was still fairly legible. She turned it over and came across directions. Mimi recognized them right away. They told how to get to the Masuko Center, where Matt often held his concerts.   
  
Just then Mimi had an idea. ::If I follow these instructions, I can get to 13th Street, and from there I can find my way home!::   
  
  
.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.  
  
  
  
Tai's sleepy eyes focused on the first thing he saw every morning; the underside of the bunk above. Same thing right? --or not.  
  
"Oh shhh--" Taichi caught his language and bolted up, banging his head against his sister's bed.  
  
"*He* saw it…" Kari mumbled in her sleep, rolling over and softly snoring again.  
  
Taichi scrambled out of bed, and in the process got his foot entangled with the sheets causing him to stumble. He slowly passed his hand from his mouth to chin looking suspiciously at the bunk, then shook his head to clear the new day foggies. He staggered over to a white drawer murmuring,  
  
"I knew I shouldn't have dreamed that last n--what the heck?!" The scene from last night dappled his clothing like chicken pox from the Twilight Zone. He slammed the drawer and his fingers singing, "Ai--this is not my day!"  
  
He shook his wounded hand and sucked on the poor fingers before going back in there and ripping every impertinent little sticker right off and into the trash can. Tai stacked his text books up and found a clean white shirt and his green jacket. His tie lay in a drawer somewhere, but he hated wearing it, and never did; especially not on Saturdays.   
  
His khaki pants were nowhere to be found, and he gave up, going to breakfast in half a uniform and Thomas the Tank Engine boxers (a gift from his mother--hey, they were on sale!). Kari appeared out of nowhere, looking perfectly dressed and ready to go. And not only that, she slept in late too! Taichi looked disgustedly at her as she held out his pants.  
  
"Looking for something?"   
  
"Yeah, thanks," he said grabbing them. Tai quickly changed and put on his shoes, then rejoined his mother and sister at the table.  
  
"Oh honey, what is that on your pants?" Mrs. Yagami pointed out, squinting.  
  
"What is what?" Taichi obliviously asked.  
  
"On your butt--I think it's a thread, want me to cut it for you? Of course, I don't have my contacts in yet but it won't really matter since--"  
  
"It's a large thread, mom--get the knife," Kari chimed in. Her brother slapped his behind and tried to locate what they were talking about. Another blasted sticker.  
  
"It's okay, ev-er-y-thing is under control," he smiled, yanking the treachery off and running out the door with his book bag.   
  
"But Tai! What about the thread?"  
  
  
.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.\~^*^~/.  
  
  
Well there it is. SO ARE YOU PEOPLE HAPPY NOW?!NOW CAN YOU LEAVE ME ALONE IN PEACE?! ^.^ Okay, next questionnaire:  
  
1. What was your favorite part of this chapter?  
2. Um whatever else you want to say. Please remember to use a sharpened #2 pencil and write neatly in the blank provided.   
  
  
Thank you! ^.^  
  
P.S. for those of you who saw that plot summary thing I wrote, I accidentally forgot to delete it. It was supposed to be a surprise…ooops…  



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